Impulse
by jemb
Summary: Pure BB fluff. Brennan heads off on a romantic weekend away with her new boyfriend. How will Booth react? Oh and I stole a scene from another TV show. Best friend points for anyone who can name that show and the characters involved!
1. Chapter 1

_**Pure BB fluff. No more to say**_

Temperance Brennan is busy tidying up her office early on Friday afternoon.

"Sweetie, where's the fire?" Angela asks from the doorway.

"What fire?" Brennan asks innocently.

"You Bren, you're all over the place."

"Will is picking me up in an hour." She states.

"Oh right, the big romantic weekend away." Angela grins.

"Can you give this to Booth. He was supposed to stop by this morning to pick it up." Brennan is in the process of handing a file to Angela when Booth strolls into her office.

"Hey Bones. Angela, looking good." He eyes her up and down.

"As always." Angela grins and heads out the door. "Have fun this weekend." She calls over her shoulder.

"Doing something special this weekend?" Booth asks as he takes the file out of her hands and flips through it.

"I'm going away with Will." She replies, not daring to look him in the face.

"Hmm." Booth sighs.

"What?" Brennan demands, planting a defiant hand on her hip. She has been getting attitude from Booth about Will for weeks now. Part of her is glad because it makes her feel like he really cares about her.

"I know you don't want to hear it Bones, but he's on the rebound." Booth says. "I don't think it's a good idea for you to be going away with him so soon." _Especially since I want to be the one you go on romantic weekends away with_ he thinks.

"Well it's a good job you don't make the decisions in my life." Brennan snaps.

"You'll end up getting hurt Bones." Booth tries one more time.

"You don't know Will at all Booth." She states. "So I'd appreciate you not commenting on my love life." She brushes past him to her desk, strips off her lab coat and pulls on her jacket. "I'll see you Monday." She throws at him as she stalks out her office, leaving Booth alone staring after her.

xxxx

By Saturday evening of her romantic weekend, Brennan is beginning to realise that Booth was right about Will. All day he has been off with her, not talking and avoiding eye contact, even to her classic signs that the relationship is going south. What she can't figure is why. They had a romantic dinner on the Friday night that went very well, a lazy breakfast and a walk in the park the following morning. Suddenly by lunch time he had changed.

"Will, what's going on?" Brennan asks as they walk slowly back to their bed and breakfast with at least a foot between their bodies.

"Nothing Temperance." Will replies.

"We both know I'm not good at reading people but I'm almost certain that something is bothering you." She says. Will stops suddenly and turns to face her.

"Maria called me this morning." He admits.

"Your ex girlfriend." Brennan sighs.

"She wants me back."

"Oh."

"Temperance, I..." he pauses. "I'm sorry, I need some time to think." Brennan shifts her weight and folds her arms. "I need to take a walk." He adds as he stuffs his hands in his pockets and backs away from Brennan. She stands, watching him go, and knows that when he comes back to the bed and breakfast it will only be to collect his things so he can go back to his ex.

Brennan is asleep on top of the bed, still dressed for dinner, when Will creeps back into the room. He doesn't bother to wake her. He just gathers his things together, writes her a note and slips back out the door. When Brennan wakes a few hours later, she finds a small note sitting on the pillow. _I'm sorry. I had to go to her. Will_

xxxx

As the night moves on, Brennan sits on the bed in the hotel room and stares at the empty space where Will's bag sat just a few hours ago. _I should have listened to Booth_ Brennan thinks. It is only when she rises to her feet and looks out the window that it occurs to her that Will has driven off with the only transport she had and she has no way to get back to DC. She wipes a tear away from her eye and looks around, unsure what to do now. _Did he even think about me before he drove off_ she wonders. Her eyes settle on her cell phone sitting on the bedside table. She walks over, picks it up and dials the first number that comes to mind.

"Booth." He answers quickly for being so late at night.

"It's me." She says.

"Bones, what's wrong?" Booth asks, sitting up straight on the couch where he had been slumped as he watched the ice hockey replays.

"Can you come pick me up?" She asks bravely.

"What happened?" Booth asks, trying not to sound too worried.

"Nothing, I just need a ride." She sighs. Booth realises she isn't about to tell him anything over the phone.

"Sure, where are you?" he asks as he grabs a scrap of paper and pen to take down directions. "I'll be there as soon as I can."

xxxx

Booth pulls into the parking lot of the bed and breakfast and immediately spots Brennan. She is sitting on the steps, her bag at her feet and her arms wrapped tightly around her body, her head down. When she hears a car approach, she lifts her head up, relieved that Booth is here but also dreading the drive back to DC. As the SUV pulls up alongside her, she rises to her feet and picks up her bag. Booth leans over in the car and unlocks the door, opening it for her. She pulls it all the way open, tosses her bag in the back seat and climbs in.

"You okay Bones?" Booth asks. She glances at him then pulls on her seatbelt and turns her attention out the window. Booth doesn't push her, instead he just turns the car around and heads for home.

Xxxx

Booth keeps glancing across the car to look at Brennan. She has been sitting silently in the passenger seat since he picked her up almost two hours ago.

"Bones, what happened?" he asks. He's asked her that several times but she just looks at him with those sad blue eyes then turns away again.

"Bones, come on. Tell me what's going on?" he pleads. He doesn't like silent Brennan. He doesn't understand silent Brennan. Argumentative Brennan he gets. He understands where she's coming from and he can argue back. Cheerful Brennan he gets. He knows what makes her happy. But silent Bones is impossible. She doesn't give anything away.

"You were right." She says. "About him." She adds. Booth nods and takes a deep breath. He wanted to be right but not so she would get hurt, just because he knows Brennan deserves better than someone like him.

"I'm sorry Bones." He tells her.

"What? No I told you so?" she asks sarcastically.

"I wouldn't say that." Booth says softly.

"Yeah right." She mutters.

"Damn it Bones." Booth screeches the car over to the side of the road and stops sharply.

"What are you doing Booth?" Brennan asks, shocked at his sudden manoeuvre.

"I drive for three hours in the middle of the night to pick you up and you sit there and give me attitude?" his voice is raised with anger.

"Well in case you hadn't noticed I'm not exactly having a great weekend." Brennan folds her arms across her chest and glares out the window. She knows she's wrong to be mad at Booth, he isn't the one who ditched her in the middle of nowhere and he is the one who came to pick her up as soon as she called. Suddenly Booth gets out the car and slams the door shut. Brennan watches in confusion as he crosses in front of the car and onto the grass verge, seemingly muttering to himself. She gets out the car and walks over to him.

"Why did you call me Bones?" Booth asks.

"I guess you were the first person I thought of." She replies.

"What does that _mean_ Bones?"

"I don't know." She shrugs.

"Why was I the first one you called? Why not Angela? She's your best friend." Booth's voice rises in volume. "Why are you thinking about me first?"

"I don't know Booth." Brennan cries. "I guess I trust you and I can talk to you."

"Bones, don't you ever get tired of talking." He sighs.

"What is that supposed to mean Booth? I don't underst…" her sentence is silenced as Booth steps forward, cups her face with both hands and kisses her with more passion and emotion that Brennan has experienced before.


	2. Chapter 2

Taken off guard, Brennan's arms hang at her side and she just stands there as Booth kisses her. After a few seconds she gathers herself together and in a panic, she pushes him away, hard.

"What the hell did you do that for?" she demands as she pushes his chest, moving him backwards. _What was that, why did he do it, what does it mean?_ A thousand questions flood her mind.

"Bones, I'm sorry I…"

"How dare you." She pushes him again. "That was completely out of order." She shouts with one more push to his chest.

"Hey, hey. Enough with the violence." Booth raises his hands in submission. "I'm sorry, it was an impulse. I was wrong okay." He searches her eyes for something that will tell him he wasn't wrong to kiss her. If it's there she isn't showing it. In fact, he thinks she even looks a little scared at his display of emotion.

"Yes, you were." She says, backing away from him.

"Okay, I'm a jerk, I'm sorry. Can we just get back in the car and go home now?" he asks as he walks to the car. Halfway there he turns to find Brennan not following him. _Oh God, I've really screwed this up_ he realises.

"Bones." He calls. She glares at him then starts walking along the grass verge away from the car, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. "Bones, come on!" he shouts after her. Groaning at the realisation that she isn't going to stop, Booth jumps in the car, starts it back up and drives up alongside Brennan. "Bones, get in the car." He says out the window.

"No." she replies defiantly.

"Bones, it's freezing out there and you're still miles from home."

"I don't care, I'll walk." She replies.

"Well I'll just drive beside you the whole way." He tells her. "Come on Bones, please just get back in the car." Brennan stops walking and turns to face the car. Booth brings it to a complete stop, leaning across to see her.

"Fine." She sulks and climbs in. "You shouldn't have done that."

"I know Bones, I'm sorry."

xxxx

When Angela arrives for work on Monday morning she can immediately tell that Brennan is not in a good mood. Standing on the platform with some remains, she looks troubled and tired for someone who was supposed to be on a romantic getaway.

"Sweetie, did something happen this weekend?" she asks.

"No. Nothing. Why would you ask?" Brennan answers a little too quickly, raising suspicion in Angela's mind.

"Didn't you have a good time with Will?" she presses.

"Uh, no. That's over." Brennan tells her before striding away to her office.

"Brennan!" Angela calls after her but Brennan keeps walking, even going so far as to close the door to her office. Even though it is glass and everyone can see her inside, the act of closing it tells everyone she does not want to be disturbed. And that is how it remains for most of the morning. Until Booth shows up.

xxxx

Booth walks into the lab somewhat hesitantly. He hasn't spoken to Brennan since the kiss and he's a little worried about what reception he'll get. He soon gets his answer.

"Booth!" Angela calls out to him from her office as he passes. Booth stops and takes a few paces backwards so he is standing in the doorway.

"Hey Angela." He greets her half heartedly.

"If you're looking for Brennan, I should probably warn you that she's not in a good mood."

"She isn't?" Booth tries to act surprised. _I should have known this wouldn't just blow over_.

"No, something happened at the weekend, with Will I think." Angela explains, oblivious to the real nature of Brennan's mood. "She's been holed up in her office for hours."

"Thanks Angela, I'll uh, bear that in mind." He nods as he forces his feet to continue their journey to Brennan's office.

xxxx

When Booth reaches Brennan's office, he sees her door is closed. _Her door is never closed_. He stands for a moment outside then knocks gently. Inside, Brennan hears the knock and glances over at the door. She feels her heart pounding when she recognises her visitor as Booth. She hasn't dealt with the feelings he stirred in her and his explanation of why he did it was even more confusing. He had said it was an impulse. _That obviously means it meant nothing to him?_ She realises. Knowing she can't avoid him forever though, Brennan rises from her chair, crosses the room and unlocks the door. She takes a few steps back into the room as Booth opens the door and walks in.

"Hey Bones." He greets her tentatively.

"Booth." She replies curtly.

"Busy?" he asks.

"Yes."

"I won't keep you long then."

"What did you come here for?" Brennan asks, turning to face him and putting on her best annoyed face.

"I thought maybe we should…talk." He offers with a weak smile.

"There's nothing to talk about." She states.

"I think there is." Booth replies.

"And what would that be Booth?" she demands. As she stares at him she notices how uncomfortable he looks and she feels strange about that. Part of her is glad he's uncomfortable because that's how he made her feel but part of her doesn't like seeing him like this. He doesn't look like the strong cocky FBI agent she knows_ and loves_.

As the pair stand locked in silence, glaring at each other, Angela approaches with caution.

"Are you two fighting again?" she asks, sounding like she's talking to a couple of kids. Brennan answers with a resounding 'yes' at the same time as Booth tells Angela a firm 'no'. As Angela looks between the pair, a confused look on her face, Brennan sighs heavily and stalks out of the room. Angela's gaze settles back onto Booth, looking for an explanation.

Booth takes a moment to think about what he's going to say then he turns to Angela.

"Angela, when you do something really, _really_ stupid. How long does it normally take Bones to get over it?" Booth asks, trying to sound casual but failing miserably.

"Oh God Booth, what did you do this time?" Angela sighs and plants her hands on her hips.

"Nothing." He turns to walk away then pauses. "I kissed her." He says before turning back.

"You what?" Angela exclaims, her jaw practically on the floor. She knew it was bound to happen one day but this has actually surprised her. Booth just nods to confirm his statement, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Booth." Angela gasps. "I…I think I'm actually speechless." She stammers. After a moment of silence Angela shifts her weight to her other foot and licks her lips. "Well this certainly explains things." She mutters, more to herself than for Booth to hear.

"Explains what?" Booth asks, having heard her anyway.

"Her mood." Angela nods. "Sweetie, did you stop to think about what would happen if you…you know."

"It was an impulse." Booth shrugs.

"And she freaked." Angela adds, not needing to actually ask.

"If that's how you describe physical violence." Booth mutters.

"She hit you?" Angela almost laughs.

"No." Booth denies immediately. "She just pushed me…hard…a few times." He says a little shamefully.

"Come on Booth, you had to know how she would react. You can't just go around kissing Brennan. No one can. She takes that sort of thing very seriously." Angela tells him.

"I know Angela." Booth sighs. "When I said it was an impulse I didn't mean that I just decided for the first time to kiss her." He drops his shoulders and walks into the room, sinking down onto the arm of the couch. "Angela, I've thought about…doing that…for a long time."

"So what made you do it?" Angela asks. She feels a little sorry for Booth. He looks genuinely distraught at how things seem to be turning out.

"I don't know." He replies honestly. "I wasn't really thinking. We were arguing by the car and I just did it."

"By the car?" Angela asks, confused.

"Her weekend with Will went sour, she called me to pick her up." He explains. "We argued about why it was me she called and then…" he trails off and rises to his feet, crossing back over to the door.

"Booth, you have to fix this _now_." Angela tells him.

"I would if I knew how. She won't even talk to me." Booth's eyes drift out into the lab where Brennan is hunched over a table at the platform. "I think I really screwed up."

"You can say that again honey." Angela mutters.

xxxx

Late in the evening Brennan is sitting on her couch with her laptop open on the table in front of her. The screensaver has come on because she has been unable to write anything in the last hour. All she can think about is how screwed up things are with Booth. His actions have changed their entire relationship and it makes her feel sick that they might not be so close again. A knocking at her door startles her from her thoughts and whips her head around to look at the door, as if she would be able to see through it. _Booth_ she thinks. _I wouldn't talk to him earlier so he's come here_. She rises nervously to her feet and crosses the room slowly. As she pulls back the chain and opens the door she is both relieved and disappointed to see Angela on the other side.

"Angela."

"Hey sweetie." Angela smiles.

"What are you doing here?" Brennan asks.

"We need to talk." Angela walks in, grabs Brennan's wrist and pulls her into the apartment. Brennan only just manages to push the door shut as she is dragged away.

Angela heads straight into the kitchen, finds a bottle of red wine and two glasses then guides Brennan over to the couch. Brennan sits there stiffly, unsure why Angela is here.

"I know what happened." Angela states. Brennan looks horrified then sinks back into the couch, burying her head in her hands.

"He told you didn't he?" Brennan's words come out muffled through her hands.

"Yes." Angela answers. "And I'm glad he did because you weren't going to, were you?" she asks.

"Angela." Brennan sighs, dropping her hands to her lap. "I'm confused."

"I'm not surprised to hear that Bren."

"He said it was an impulse." Brennan explains. "I don't know what that means. Did it mean nothing?" she asks.

"Sweetie, I think what you need to be asking right now is did _you_ want it to mean something?"

"I don't…"

"Bren." Angela takes one of Brennan's hands in hers. "Forget everything and answer me honestly, from the heart." Angela encourages. Brennan blows out a puff of air then sucks in her cheeks.

"Yes, I wanted it to mean something." She admits. Saying it out loud and admitting it to someone actually feels good.

"Okay, step one done." Angela grins as she pours them each a large glass of wine. Handing one to Brennan she goes on to explain step two.

"Now you need to talk to Booth."

"Angela."

"Sweetie, I know you don't want to but trust me. Unless you want all this to blow up into something it doesn't need to, you'll listen to me and do what I tell you." Angela tells her firmly but not harshly. "You've told me yourself you're not good in relationships so let me guide you." She grasps Brennan's free hand. "And believe me when I tell you that your talk with Booth won't go badly." She smiles then takes a gulp of her wine.

"Angela, what are you saying?" Brennan asks.

"I'm only telling you this because I don't want either you or Booth to screw this up." Angela knows she needs to intervene between the two if they are to work this out. "If you tell him how you feel, he won't reject you." Brennan looks at Angela questioningly. "Sweetie, just because he kissed you on an impulse, that doesn't mean he hadn't thought about it before."

"He said that?" Brennan asks, her voice wavering a little from its normal stead tone.

"Pretty much." Angela nods. "Hey, don't panic okay."

"I'm not panicking." Brennan lies.

"Look, tonight you're going to have a few drinks with me and relax. Tomorrow you can go talk to Booth okay. Don't worry about it, you and Booth are meant to be together."

Xxxx

Early the next morning Brennan arrives at the FBI headquarters and signs in so she can go up to Booth's office. Having been here regularly, the security guards know her and she is no longer escorted through the building. When she steps out of the elevator she finds the floor almost deserted and she thinks for a moment that Booth might not even be at work yet. Her fears are unfounded however, when she sees him from behind, walking into his office. Taking a deep breath she strides forward across the floor. When she reaches his office his head is down, focused intently on the papers on his desk. She raps on the doorframe and his head snaps up.

"Bones." He gasps, surprised to see her.

"Hi." She replies, lowering her arm and standing awkwardly.

"Uh, come on in." he rises from his chair and walks around the desk. Brennan steps inside the room and crosses the room so she is just a few feet away from him.

"What are you doing here?" he asks.

"I was hoping…we could…talk." She manages to say. Booth looks thoughtful for a moment then he responds.

"I think that's a good idea." He replies. "But not here. Come on, I'll buy you some coffee."

"I _can_ buy my own coffee." She responds without thinking. It's the kind of banter she and Booth normally engage in and it feels good, like if they can do that then everything will be okay.

"I know Bones." Booth laughs lightly as he guides her out the office and to the elevator.

xxxx

Down the street at the diner, Booth and Brennan have taken a seat in a booth near the back. A waitress has brought them some coffee which so far has remained untouched by either of them.

"So." Booth sighs.

"So." Brennan echoes. There is a moment of complete silence with neither wanting to say the first thing. So instead, they both talk at one, stopping after a few seconds and smiling nervously.

"You go first." Brennan offers.

"No, you go." Booth nods. Brennan hangs her head, takes a deep breath.

"I'm having trouble understanding what happened." She admits.

"Me too." Booth replies.

"It came from nowhere Booth."

"No Bones, it didn't." Booth leans forward, focusing his attention on her. "Think about it. Think about us and everything I do that you hate. Criticising the guys you choose, being over protective. It's all because of how I feel about you." Booth searches her eyes for a reaction. Brennan gulps, realising that Angela was completely right about Booth. She looks down at the table as Booth's hand reaches over and covers hers. He worries for a moment she is going to pull away but she doesn't.

"Booth." She sighs. "When you…kissed me." She stops and takes yet another deep breath. "I panicked."

"I noticed." Booth laughs lightly.

"I panicked because you did something that I…" she stops.

"That you what?" Booth probes when she stops talking.

"That I wanted." Brennan tilts her head back to look at the ceiling then brings it back down to look at Booth. "And I didn't know how to deal with that, especially when I didn't understand why you did it." Booth looks like he's about to speak but Brennan gets in first. "You said it was an impulse and I thought that meant you didn't really mean it, that it meant nothing to you."

"Bones." Booth says. "It was an impulse but that doesn't mean I hadn't thought about it…a lot."

"That's what Angela said." Brennan nods.

"I wondered how long it would be before she spoke to you. She was at your place last night huh?" Booth asks.

"She doesn't want us to screw up."

"I don't either." Booth brings his other hand onto the table and takes Brennan's other hand in his.

"I'm not sorry about kissing you Temperance." Brennan head snaps up when he uses her real name. "But I am sorry about the way I did it." Booth apologises. "I didn't intent to freak you out."

"I know." She nods. "I just don't know where we go from here."

"Maybe you could let me try again." He suggests, only to be met by a confused look on Brennan's face. Booth notices and he grins. "Bones, I'm going to kiss you now." He tells her as he leans forward. Brennan simply stares at him, scared but excited now that she's prepared for it and she knows he means it. As Booth's lips brush hers gently she leans towards him and closes her eyes, this time enjoying the experience. When Booth draws back she keeps her eyes closed for a moment then opens them to look at him.

"You're not going to hit me now are you?" Booth jokes. Brennan finally smiles and her shoulders relax a little.

"No, I don't think I am." She smiles.

"Okay, that's progress." Booth begins to rub circles on the back of her hand with his thumb.

"This changes everything." Brennan states.

"I know."

"But I don't want to lose what we had."

"We won't Bones. I won't let that happen."

"You can't be sure. Romantic relationships between work colleagues rarely work and I don't want to lose you." Brennan feels tears behind her eyes as she thinks about the worst case scenario where she and Booth split and can no longer work together.

"We're not like most work colleagues Bones." Booth tells her. "We've always had something special. We were just the last to realise." He pauses. "I'm willing to give it a shot if you are."

"I'm not sure Booth." Brennan sighs. Booth pulls back a little but doesn't let go of her hands. _Please don't reject me_ he thinks. "I don't think I could handle losing you as a friend, as my partner." Brennan explains.

"That won't happen if we're honest with each other. And let's face it; we're often honest with each other to a fault." He smiles, hoping to bring her around.

"I can't argue with that.

"Good." Booth leans in again and lifting one hand away from hers, he cups her cheek and strokes her soft skin. "Because I'm pretty sure I'm in love with you Temperance Brennan, and I don't want to let that go." Brennan leans into his hand and closes her eyes. Hearing someone say they love her is not something she has heard very often.

"I'm pretty sure I'm in love with you too Booth." She replies as she opens her eyes. Booth grins from ear to ear having heard what he's wanted to hear for so long. He draws her to him across the table and kisses her again, this time for longer and with more passion.

"We really should thank Angela." Brennan says when they break apart.

"Why don't we go see her, let her know all her hard work has paid off." Booth sits up straight.

"I think she'd like that." Brennan grins back. As they rise from their seats, Booth drops a bill on the table for the coffee and they start to walk out the diner. Booth reaches down and clasps Brennan's hand in his, turning to give her a warm smile as he feels her hand tighten in his. _A perfect fit_ he thinks.


End file.
